Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Company Voluntary Arrangements

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theywill review the use of Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA) and the impact on creditors when company owners have removed significant equity via dividends or capital reconstruction ahead of the CVA process.

lord henley: The Government consulted on a wide-ranging package of reforms to corporate insolvency generally in 2018 and there are no plans to review the use of Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA’s) at this time. CVA’s are a valuable part of the restructuring framework. Following this consultation, Government announced it will strengthen the powers available to insolvency practitioners to take recovery action where value has been extracted from a company prior to its insolvency, thereby increasing the protections already available to creditors. These proposals will be introduced when parliamentary time permits.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Radovan Karadžić

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the longer sentence given to Radovan Karadžić at an appeal court in The Hague, and (2) whether that ruling increases the likelihood that Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan, will be arrested andbrought before the International Criminal Court.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) is an independent and impartial tribunal established by UNSC Resolution 1966, conducting the residual work of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. We welcome the IRMCT Appeals Chamber's decision in the Karadžić Appeals Judgement which set aside the sentence of 40 years and imposed on Karadžić a sentence of life imprisonment, owing to the heinous crimes he committed. The decision is one made by competent judges who apply the law to the facts.The International Criminal Court (ICC), on the other hand, is a permanent International Criminal Tribunal court, established by a Treaty, the Rome Statute. Its jurisdiction differs from that of the IRMCT. While the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir, the IRMCT has no jurisdiction over the suspect.

Yasser Fawzi Shweiki

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel about the killing of Yasser Fawzi Shweiki and reports that the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s medics were prevented from attending the scene.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. The British Government is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We recognise the Israeli authorities' legitimate need to deploy security measures in some circumstances, but we have encouraged them to avoid excessive use of force and to act in a way which minimises tensions. When there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have urged the Israeli authorities to conduct swift and transparent investigations. We continue to call on the Israeli Government to ease movement and access restrictions for Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to improve access to medical care. We are clear that medical staff should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety.

North Korea: Politics and Government

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that North Korea has been involved in illegal trade and the hacking of foreign banks.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: North Korea continues to undertake trade activities prohibited by a number of UN Security Council Resolutions. We are aware of industry reports on North Korean cyber activity. The UK has a comprehensive cyber strategy to address both criminal and state based threats which includes activity to defend and deter cyber-attacks as well as develop our national expertise. We are working with our international partners to ensure that all existing UN Security Council measures in respect of North Korea are fully, and effectively, implemented. In addition, we welcome the work of the UN Panel of Experts who are mandated to gather, examine and analyse information provided by States on their implementation of the measures, as well as information on incidents of non-compliance. The Panel's latest report details continued evasion of sanctions by North Korea and insufficient implementation of sanctions by a wide range of countries. The report and previous reports can be found on the UN Security Council website.

North Korea: Foreign Trade

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that North Korea has (1) illegally sold minerals, gold, drugs, coal, and weapons, and (2) misused the flags of other nations to avoid international maritime inspection.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: North Korea continues to undertake activities prohibited by a number of UN Security Council Resolutions including illegal exports of coal and the use of deceptive shipping practices. We are working with our international partners to ensure that all existing UN Security Council measures in respect of North Korea are fully, and effectively, implemented. In addition, we welcome the work of the UN Panel of Experts who are mandated to gather, examine and analyse information provided by States on their implementation of the measures, as well as information on incidents of non-compliance. The Panel's latest report details continued evasion of sanctions by North Korea and insufficient implementation of sanctions by a wide range of countries. The report and previous reports can be found on the UN Security Council website.

North Korea: Arms Trade

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that North Korea has (1) generated foreign currency through arms deals, (2)sold nuclear materials to Iran in exchange for cash and oil, and (3) soldmissiles and conventional weapons to Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: North Korea continues to undertake activities prohibited by a number of UN Security Council Resolutions including through the illegal proliferation of arms to several states. We are working with our international partners to ensure that all existing UN Security Council measures in respect of North Korea are fully, and effectively, implemented. In addition, we welcome the work of the UN Panel of Experts who are mandated to gather, examine and analyse information provided by States on their implementation of the measures, as well as information on incidents of non-compliance. The Panel’s latest report details continued evasion of sanctions by North Korea and insufficient implementation of sanctions by a wide range of countries. The report and previous reports can be found on the UN Security Council website.

Syria: Islamic State

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the number of children who are among the captured ISIS fighters in Syria; what they estimate the countries of origin of those children to be; and what plans they have to facilitate the reintegration of those children into society and to deter their radicalisation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of a significant number of minors among those who fled the final Daesh-held territory of Baghuz in north-eastern Syria in the weeks prior to its capture by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Most of these children are now housed at the Al-Hol displaced persons camp where, according to estimates by UN humanitarian agencies, at least 41,000 of the 72,000 population are under 18; most are understood to be either Syrian or Iraqi nationals. Due to the circumstances on the ground it is not possible for the British Government to make an independent estimate of the numbers of children or their country of origin.UK aid has provided more than £40 million in humanitarian support in North-Eastern Syria in 2018-19, which includes support for child protection, health care and mental health support. For any British children returning from Syria, a range of specialised support would be offered, tailored to the needs of the individual child.

Commonwealth: Public Records

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to recognise the interests of Commonwealth countries in historical archives relating to the process of decolonisation, in particular when making decisions not to disclose records for the purposes of historical research.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, like other government departments, selects its archive records for permanent preservation in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act. This includes any records relating to the process of decolonisation. Records selected for permanent preservation are transferred to The National Archives (TNA) where they are available to historians and members of the public, subject to any legal exemptions. TNA holdings can be searched using their online catalogue which is publicly available on their website.

Israel: Golan Heights

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recognition by the President of the United States of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights; and what discussions they have had, or intend to have, with the government of the United States about that recognition.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 26 March officials from our Embassy in Washington raised our concerns with US counterparts about the US Presidential Proclamation recognising that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel. We are clear that the UK views the Golan Heights as territory occupied by Israel. Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, including the UN Charter. The UK did not recognise Israel's annexation in 1981 and we have no plans to change our position. On 26 March we reiterated our firm position on this matter at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

Israel: Golan Heights

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the United States Administration about thePresident of the United States’ statement on Twitter on 21 March that it is "time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights"; andwhat assessment they have made ofthe potential implications of that statement for (1) the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and(2) future regional stability.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 26 March officials from our Embassy in Washington raised our concerns with US counterparts about the US Presidential Proclamation recognising that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel. We are clear that the UK views the Golan Heights as territory occupied by Israel. Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, including the UN Charter. The UK did not recognise Israel's annexation in 1981 and we have no plans to change our position. On 26 March we joined Belgium, France, Germany and Poland at the UN Security Council in reiterating this position.

Libya: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role the UK will play in the UN national reconciliation conference expected to take place in Ghadames in Libya on 14to 16 April; and what are their objectives for that conference.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK strongly supports the efforts of UN Special Representative Ghassan Salamé and welcomes his recent announcement that a National Conference will take place in Ghadames in April. We continue to engage with the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on preparatory work for the National Conference, and support the objective of ensuring that the full Libyan political spectrum is represented. This is an opportunity to bring together a wide range of Libyan stakeholders to reach a consensus on key questions relating to Libya's political transition, including the constitutional basis for elections, the sequencing and model of elections, and the equitable distribution of resources.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the political situation in Tunisia in view of reports that the President of Tunisia is seeking to amendthe 2014 constitution to increase the power of the presidency.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK supports the democratic process in Tunisia and continues to follow developments closely. Successful municipal elections in May 2018 were an important milestone in the country's democratic transition, ahead of the legislative and Presidential elections due at the end of this year. Any potential changes to the 2014 Constitution amending the division of powers between the President and the Head of Government would need to be agreed by the Tunisian parliament. There is a clear Constitutional process in place to address such issues.

China: Transplant Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 March (HL14297), whether they will ask the World Health Organisation to (1) assess the reportBloody Harvest/the Slaughter: An update, published on 22 June 2016, and (2) publish a statement on the evidence presented in that report.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. The British Government continues to take these reports extremely seriously.This includes the 2016 update to the Kilgour, Matas and Gutmann report and other information provided so far to the ongoing tribunal organised by the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China and chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC. We continue to scrutinise the situation carefully and review new information as it becomes available.We will update the WHO via our Embassy in Beijing on the issues raised in the recent debate in Parliament, which included references to the 2016 update to the report ‘Bloody Harvest/The Slaughter’. When doing so, my officials will ask the WHO to expand upon its assessment of China’s organ transplant system. It would not be appropriate for us to ask the WHO to publish a statement on the evidence presented in the report ‘Bloody Harvest/the Slaughter’, although this does not preclude the authors of the report from doing so.

China: Transplant Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 March (HL14297), whether they will ask the World Health Organisation to explain the basis for its view that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. The British Government continues to take these reports extremely seriously.This includes the 2016 update to the Kilgour, Matas and Gutmann report and other information provided so far to the ongoing tribunal organised by the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China and chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC. We continue to scrutinise the situation carefully and review new information as it becomes available. At present, however, our assessment is that there is not a strong enough evidential base to substantiate the claim that systematic state-sponsored or sanctioned organ harvesting is taking place in China. We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.We will update the WHO via our Embassy in Beijing on the issues raised in the recent debate in Parliament, which included references to the 2016 update to the report 'Bloody Harvest/The Slaughter'. When doing so, my officials will ask the WHO to expand upon its assessment of China's organ transplant system. It would not be appropriate for us to ask the WHO to publish a statement on the evidence presented in the report 'Bloody Harvest/the Slaughter', although this does not preclude the authors of the report from doing so.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Politics and Government

the earl of shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the process of appointing a new Governor for the Turks and Caicos Islands, they will consider the importance of promoting and encouraging tourism and businesses in that sector in those Islands.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office recruitment process looks for the best candidate who can demonstrate they have the skills to meet the challenges of the position of Governor. The position is advertised across the civil service. The Governor as Her Majesty The Queen's representative has responsibility for security, external affairs and defence. Although the locally elected Government is responsible for tourism and business, Governors of course have an important role to play in supporting the prosperity of the Overseas Territories.As has been the established practice since 2002, I wrote to the Turks and Caicos Islands Premier last September asking for her views on the qualities and expertise needed for a new Governor.

Brunei: Legal Systems

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking following Brunei’s decision to introduce Sharia law, and the consequential use of amputation, whipping and stoning, along with other penalties, for non-compliant religious minorities, people in same sex relationships, or for adultery, theft or alcohol consumption.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary spoke to Brunei's Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dato Erywan, on 4 April in order to express the UK's deep concern over Brunei's decision to implement the final phases of the Sharia Penal Code.The Minister for Asia-Pacific delivered a statement to the House of Commons on 4 April addressing the UK position on the implications of Brunei's decision.We have repeatedly lobbied Brunei about their plans to introduce hudud punishments. The Minister for Asia-Pacific raised this with the Sultan and Bruneian ministers during his visit to Brunei Darussalam in August 2018.Commonwealth Heads of Government most recently met in the UK in April 2018. His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam was present. A communique issued by the leaders included the most progressive language yet on LGBT rights, complimented by an historic speech from the Prime Minister. The UK strongly supports and defends the rights of the LGBT+ community globally. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and all its forms. The UK upholds international human rights laws relating to torture, or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

Brunei: Capital Punishment

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Brunei about its decision to impose death by stoning as a punishment for adultery and gay sex; and whether they intend to ban hydrocarbon imports from that country until it alters that policy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary spoke to Brunei's Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dato Erywan, on 4 April in order to express the UK's deep concern over Brunei's decision to implement the final phases of the Sharia Penal Code.The Minister for Asia-Pacific delivered a statement to the House of Commons on 4 April addressing the UK position on the implications of Brunei's decision.We have repeatedly lobbied Brunei about their plans to introduce hudud punishments. The Minister for Asia-Pacific raised this with the Sultan and Bruneian ministers during his visit to Brunei Darussalam in August 2018.Commonwealth Heads of Government most recently met in the UK in April 2018. His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam was present. A communique issued by the leaders included the most progressive language yet on LGBT rights, complimented by an historic speech from the Prime Minister. The UK strongly supports and defends the rights of the LGBT+ community globally. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and all its forms. The UK upholds international human rights laws relating to torture, or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.The UK does not import hydrocarbons from Brunei. We believe that open and honest discussions, rather than boycotts, is the best way to encourage Brunei to uphold their international human rights obligations and to respect individual freedoms.

Department of Health and Social Care

Genito-urinary Medicine: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 25 March (HL Deb, col 1618), whether the £3 billion funding a year ring-fenced around public health services in local authorities is specifically for sexual health services; and if not, what proportion of that funding is specifically for sexual health services.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The public health grant funding allocated to local authorities is ring-fenced for public health functions. It is not specifically for sexual health services.It is for individual local authorities to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need, including the need for sexual health services taking account of their statutory duties. They are required by regulations to provide services for sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment and contraception.

Department for Education

Voluntary Schools: Capital Investment

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 28 March (HL14650), what are the (1) names, (2) related local authorities, (3) phases, and (4) religions, of each expression of interest in the new capital funding scheme for voluntary-aided schools they received.

lord agnew of oulton: On 26 March 2019, the department published the list of bids received for the new capital funding scheme for voluntary-aided schools. The link to this list, which is split by school name, local authority, phase and faith ethos or designation, can be found on the GOV.UK website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voluntary-aided-schools-capital-scheme-applicant-information.This list can also be found attached.As registering expressions of interest was not compulsory and not all groups who register their interest go on to submit bids, the department does not publish information about expressions of interest.  



HL15002_Voluntary-aided_school_applicant_info
(PDF Document, 124.69 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Fines: Surcharges

lord ponsonby of shulbrede: To ask Her Majesty's Government which organisations that provide victim services have been awarded funding from the revenue of the victim surcharge in each year since 2013.

lord ponsonby of shulbrede: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding each organisation that provides victim services was awarded from the revenue of the victim surcharge in each year since 2013.

lord keen of elie: Revenue from the Victim Surcharge forms a part of the Ministry of Justice’s Victim and Witness budget which is used to fund services that enable victims to cope and recover and support witnesses to give their best evidence in court. The Victim and Witness budget funds national support services such as: the National Homicide Service, Rape Support Centres, and the Court Based Witness Service. It also funds Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) who commission local support services for victims. Consequently, it is not possible to identify which services receive funding from the Victim Surcharge revenue specifically. However, information on how much revenue is generated from the Surcharge and subsequently contributes to the Victim and Witness budget is available in the HMCTS Trust Statement, which are published every year. Below is a table with information taken from the Trust Statements detailing how much revenue has been generated from the Victim Surcharge since 2013.Financial YearVictim Surcharge Collected 2013/14£19,548,0002014/15£24,569,0002015/16£28,307,0002016/17£31,029,0002017/18£35,022,000

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017

baroness cumberlege: To ask Her Majesty's Government which sections of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 have not yet been commenced.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Sections 7, 8(2), 14, 18-28 (with the exception of 26(8)(b)), 31, 39 and 40 of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 have not yet been commenced.

Housing Market

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Brexit uncertainty on the UK housing market.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Department is working closely with industry and all levels of government to monitor and support the housing market. At Spring Statement, we announced measures to support the market, such as guaranteeing (through the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme) up to £3 billion of borrowing by Housing Associations in England, to support the delivery of around 30,000 affordable homes.We remain committed to delivering safe, secure and affordable housing to people across the country, and our exit from the EU will not change this. A key pillar of realising this commitment is our ambition to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.To further ensure a smooth transition, we have implemented legislation which will mean that on Day 1 after exit, the UK’s regulatory requirements on construction products will be the same as the EU’s requirements. In the event of a no-deal scenario, we will continue to recognise EU product requirements as valid for sale on the UK market for a time limited period after we leave the EU.

Home Office

Islamic State: Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on21 March (HL Deb, cols 1523–5), how many individuals accused of participation or complicity in the Daesh atrocities have been prosecuted to date in the UK; and on what charges.

baroness williams of trafford: There are a range of tough measures to deal with people who pose a serious threat to the UK. As of June 2018, there had been around 40 convictions of individuals who had been prosecuted following their return from Syria, for a range of offences connected to their activities overseas or subsequent counter-terrorism investigations.This number includes a ten year custodial sentence for Mohammed Abdullah, a British national convicted in December 2017 of IS membership, after leaked documents from a defector revealed his role as a “specialist sniper”, and the minimum of 40 years for Khalid Ali who was sentenced in 2018 for planning a terrorist attack in Westminster.The majority of those who have returned did so in the earlier stages of the conflict and have been investigated. A significant proportion of these individuals are assessed as no longer being of national security concern.

Homelessness

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use ofpublic spaces protectionorders and other anti-social behaviour measures to prevent homeless people from sleeping in public open spaces, or to fine and criminalise them; and whether they consider the use of those measures appropriate.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.Public Spaces Protection Orders and other anti-social behaviour measures should be used proportionately to tackle anti-social behaviour, and not to target specific groups such as homeless people. We refreshed the statutory guidance for frontline professionals on use of the powers in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2014 in December 2017 to make absolutely clear that these orders should not be used to target people based solely on the fact that they are homeless or sleeping in public open spaces.

Motor Vehicles: Theft

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the 49per cent rise in vehicle thefts in the four years to 2017–18; what plans they have to address thatrise;what discussions they have had with the automotive industry about improving vehicle security, including the security of keyless entry and start systems; andwhat regulations are in place to ensure minimum standards of security for newly made vehicles in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: On 15 January the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service chaired the first meeting of the Vehicle Theft Taskforce, which brings together the automotive industry, insurers, the police, Government departments and others to help ensure that the collective response to vehicle theft in England and Wales is as robust as it can be.In addition to developing further our understanding about the threat, the work of the Taskforce will cover vehicle security, which includes looking at preventing the compromise of electronic vehicle security.The majority of new cars and small commercial vehicles must meet the requirements of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation 97 and Regulation 116 covering Vehicle Alarm Systems and Protection of Motor Vehicles Against Unauthorised Use.

High Rise Flats: Fires

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many high rise buildings retrofitted with combinations of composite or other forms of cladding which are not formed from solid metal along with phenolic foam insulation have had fires that resulted in fatalities in the last10 years in the UK; andwhat estimate they have made of the number of such buildings internationally that have had fires resulting in fatalities in the last 10 years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Commission for Countering Extremism

baroness warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 March 2018 (HLWS527), when the first annual report of the Commission for Countering Extremism is expected to be published.

baroness warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 March 2018 (HLWS527), what assessment the Lead Commissioner for Countering Extremism has made of the threat of, and response to, extremism in the UK.

baroness warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability on 25 June 2018 (152869), what advice they received from the Lead Commissioner on Countering Extremism on the Commission for Countering Extremism’s future structures, work programme and the appointment of further commissioners; and what was their response to such advice.

baroness warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government which individuals and organisations met with the Lead Commissioner for Countering Extremism during her first year in post; and what are the dates, locations, agenda and meeting outcomes of all such meetings.

baroness warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research briefings have been(1) produced for, and (2) commissioned by the Lead Commissioner for Countering Extremism; what was the subject of any such briefing; and if provided by an external party, who that was.

baroness williams of trafford: The independent Commission for Countering Extremism’s study into the threat we face from extremism and the current response, including advice on new policies to tackle it, will report to the Home Secretary and be published shortly. The Government expects the Lead Commissioner’s report to include advice on the Commission’s future structures, work programme and, if necessary, the appointment of further commissioners.Once the Commission’s has reported to the Home Secretary on its study and it’s been published, the Government’s response will be a decision for the Home Secretary.The Commission for Countering Extremism’s public Charter is clear that it’s a transparent body operating independently of the Government. This independence extends to its decision about who it engages with and the methodologies and content of its reports.

Terrorism

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current threat posed by extreme right-wing terrorism to UK national security; and how they define right wing terrorism.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Secretary has been clear: the far right has absolutely no place in Britain. The British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance and respect.Through CONTEST and the Counter-Extremism Strategy, we’re dealing with the threat of right-wing terrorism and the wider harms caused by the far right, including community tensions, hate crime and public order issues. This is about keeping our communities safe and secure. We have also been discussing the risk posed by right wing terrorism with our international partners.The Government proscribed National Action as a terrorist organisation in December 2016. We’ve also proscribed Scottish Dawn and NS131 as aliases of National Action.“Terrorism” is defined in Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Our counter terrorism strategy, CONTEST, works to reduce the risk of all forms of terrorism, regardless of ideology.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Conditions of Employment

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about parity of conditions between employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

lord young of cookham: The Cabinet Office has not assessed or received any representations on the parity of conditions between employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. Further to my response to the Noble Lord Goodlad on the 21 March (HL14735), the Government can confirm that terms and conditions for civil servants below the Senior Civil Service have been to a great extent, and within certain central parameters, in particular those set out in the Civil Service Management Code, formally ‘delegated’ to departments. Accordingly, inter-departmental differences in relation to terms and conditions exist. The Diplomatic Service is a separate Civil Service from the main (UK) Civil Service and is managed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Treasury

London Capital and Finance: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to launch an independent review into the Financial Conduct Authority's regulatory oversight of London Capital and Finance Plc.

lord bates: On 1 April, the Economic Secretary announced that he will use powers under the Financial Services Act 2012 to direct the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to launch an investigation into the events at London Capital & Finance and the circumstances surrounding them. This followed a request from the FCA Chair, Charles Randell, to the Economic Secretary to launch such an investigation. The investigation will be led by an independent person appointed by the FCA, with the approval of HM Treasury.

Public Works Loan Board

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for setting the credit risk budget for the Public Works Loan Board; who has responsibility for lending decisions; andwhen they last assessed the role of that Board in delivering public policy and fiscal management targets.

lord bates: The Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) is a statutory body that issues loans to local authorities, and other specified bodies in England, Scotland and Wales. The PWLB’s policy framework is set by HM Treasury. Responsibility for local authority spending and borrowing decisions lie with locally-elected council members, who are democratically accountable to their electorates. Since 2004, major local authorities have been able to borrow without government consent provided they can afford the borrowing costs. Local authorities are required to have regard to the Prudential Code and statutory guidance when they borrow from the PWLB or from any other lender. The Prudential Code and statutory guidance were updated in 2018 to increase transparency and accountability, and ensure that local authorities take investment decisions after careful consideration of risk and proportionality. Before it can advance a loan, the PWLB requires formal assurance from the authority that the loan is within their borrowing powers and the relevant legislation. As with all policies, the government keeps the lending policy for the PWLB under review.

Debts

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve measures to support those with problem debt.

lord bates: The government is taking a proactive approach to support those in problem debt. First, the government has increased funding for publicly-funded debt advice to over £56 million in this financial year, enough to provide support to over 530,000 people. This advice helps vulnerable consumers to seek expert help with their debts and get their finances back on track. Second, the government is also implementing its manifesto commitment to introduce a breathing space and statutory debt repayment plan. The polices aim to give people in problem debt the opportunity to take control of their finances and put them on a sustainable footing.

Fraud

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with banks to protect UK businesses against invoice fraud.

lord bates: The Government takes fraud extremely seriously and recognises the devastating impacts these crimes can have. The Government has created the Joint Fraud Taskforce, which brings together government, the banks and law enforcement to develop a collective response to fraud. The objectives of the Taskforce are to protect the public and businesses from fraud, reduce the impact of fraud on victims, and increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters. It has also been made easier to report fraud to law enforcement. Action Fraud is the UK’s reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, providing a central point of contact for information about fraud and financially motivated internet crime.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Copyright: Internet

lord smith of finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming White Paper on the development of digital technology and the digital economy will include reserve powers to address economic harm on online platforms in order to protect the interests of the UK’s creative industries against piracy and the spread of illegal content.

lord ashton of hyde: Development of digital technology and the digital economy is not specifically in scope of the Online Harms White Paper.As part of the Digital Charter, the Government's overarching strategy to make sure the internet works for everyone - for citizens, businesses and society as a whole - we have already introduced a number of measures to protect the interests of the UK's Creative Industries, including facilitating a Code of Practice signed by search engines and copyright owners. This has reduced the prominence of websites hosting illegal copyright infringing content in natural search results.

Claudia Jones and George Padmore

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 11 March (HL13972), whether any departments, other than the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, hold archive material on (1) George Padmore, and (2) Claudia Jones.

lord ashton of hyde: A search of the files held on The National Archives’ online catalogue, Discovery, has revealed no files relating to Claudia Vera Cumberbatch alias ‘Claudia Jones’ and three files relating to Malcolm Ivan Meredith Nurse alias ‘George Padmore’ These can be found here: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1255063; https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14206480; https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6097450 It should be noted however, that Discovery only searches catalogue descriptions, and does not search the contents of the records in our repositories. This means that these individuals may appear within other records held at The National Archives, for example passenger lists, but this would not be picked up by a Discovery search if their names do not feature prominently enough to be included in the catalogue description provided by the department on transfer.

Youth Organisations

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving, and to whom, to strengthen youth organisations.

lord ashton of hyde: Local authorities are primarily responsible for allocating public funding to youth organisations in their area.Government is committed to strengthening and supporting youth organisations including, but not limited to:The Office for Civil Society has allocated over £863m between 2014/15 and 2018/19 to youth programmes - with £195m of that allocated for 2018/19;A new £200m Youth Endowment Fund to be delivered over 10 years to support interventions with children and young people at risk of involvement in crime and violence; andSupporting the creation of the Youth Futures Foundation - a new, independent organisation created with initial funding of £90m from dormant bank accounts,which will support young people furthest away from the labour market using data from the Race Disparity Audit.

Football: Racial Discrimination

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with relevant authorities, such as FIFA, and UEFA, to strengthen sanctions against racist behaviour in international football.

lord ashton of hyde: The racist abuse England players were subjected to in Montenegro was completely unacceptable and we supported the Football Association's call for UEFA to take strong and swift action. The FA represents English football's interests at the international level of the sport. Whilst progress has been made here and abroad in tackling discrimination in football over the years, more needs to be done, and Government is continuing to work with the footballing authorities and other organisations to agree what action must be taken to stamp out all forms of discrimination at football events in this country.